Seth P. Griswold (1850-1926)
'Seth P. Griswold '(January 27, 1850 - December 31, 1926) was a prominent resident and landowner in West Hartford, living at 1001 Farmington Avenue for much of his life. He was a native and lifelong resident of the town. The Griswolds came to West Hartford from Wethersfield several generations ago, but Griswold's mother was a Steele, a descendant through the Whitings and Steeles, of some of the earliest settlers of the West Division. Griswold operated a lively stable from his homestead, owning a substantial piece of land with hayfields and two large barns that afforded the opportunity to sell loose hay, straw, and wood. On December 31, 1926, Griswold died in town. Family Griswold married Emily W. Barber in 1875. She died on December 18, 1908. * Allen S. Griswold * Florence L. Griswold Organizations * Elected overseer of the Grange (January 21, 1890); lecturer (January 22, 1901) * Helped manage the annual First Church bazar (1896) * Elected Vice-President of the Village Improvement Society (November 2, 1920) Real Estate * Griswold purchased the 40-acre Deming farm on the south side of Farmington Avenue, west of the Center, on March 18, 1881. Around 1888, he sold off a tract of land to George M. Hersey, who developed a circular park. Frederick A. Mitchell moved into the house Griswold formerly occupied on March 14, 1894. * On December 7, 1909, Griswold, together with John G. Hawley, sold to Henry S. Lancaster, 27 acres of land on Albany Avenue, formerly the Mansfield farm. This tract was developed into building lots. * Albert L. Lamb and family of Elmwood rented Griswold's house on January 1, 1914. Land Use and Business * Built a new house for himself in the rear of 1001 Farmington Avenue in the summer of 1892. He removed his old house from the center of Farmington Avenue for rent. * Griswold helped construct a gravel sidewalk on the south side of the road in December 1900, with improvements continuing with grading his front in August 1902. * Griswold, with his son Allen S. Griswold, laid out a tract on Farmington Avenue west of Woodrow Street, including Four Mile Road, and constructed sewers in October 1915, connecting Farmington Avenue with Arapahoe Road. When it was graded, Four Mile Road was accepted in 1917. * He built a garage for himself in October 1917 on Farmington Avenue. Accidents * A small outbuilding was burned down on November 25, 1892. An old tenement house on North Main Street near Albany Avenue also burned down on October 17, 1897 on Griswold's land. * A double tenement house at 1045 Farmington Avenue, built in 1857 and owned by Griswold, was burned on February 12, 1917, occupied by Frederick E. Mitchell and George Gillett. Personal * On July 26, 1899, Griswold and Hyman F. Smith left for the West, Griswold going to his ranch in Nebraska, returning at the end of the summer. * Went on a business trip to Nebraska in the summer of 1905, heading next to Norfolk until September 12 with his wife. He then went on a business trip to the mining region of North Carolina in January 1906. * Griswold often went to Maine and Rhode Island with his family, most notably in 1907-1908 until his wife's death on December 18, 1908.